Has Anyone Taken English Language Test in Cebu?

[KeithD]

.... she doesnt 'do' letters. .....

[briancol]

well letters are old fashioned, we talk on the computer every day.

[sars_notd_virus]

ive looked at so much stuff lately my head is turned,i dont know if im coming or going,trying to arrange a visa as well coz i booked my stay for 22 days instead of just 21.now the embassy want me to show an invitation letter from my wife. she doesnt 'do' letters. im sorry i said i'd go back.

please make a new thread for this query briancol!!
embassy requires a letter of invitation to visit your wife? which embassy is this?? just flip backwards briancol and read all the replies given to you with regards to English test providers, your asking to many questions all at the same time and its losing the sense of this thread..which is supposed to be ''has anyone taken english language test in cebu''

[briancol]

yes sorry about that.

[briancol]

this is meant to be an example of the IELTS exam,has anyone tried it? i just listened to the 1st & 2nd part of it and i couldnt even answer most of the questions & im born & bred UK,Northern Ireland. Its not just listening & understanding,you need a good memory as well. http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/index.php

[Terpe]

this is meant to be an example of the IELTS exam,has anyone tried it? i just listened to the 1st & 2nd part of it and i couldnt even answer most of the questions & im born & bred UK,Northern Ireland. Its not just listening & understanding,you need a good memory as well. http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/index.php

If your wife is not confident, or if she struggles with her English, it may be better to take a different test. IELTS is at a higher level than others.
Just food for thought.

[lastlid]

this is meant to be an example of the IELTS exam,has anyone tried it? i just listened to the 1st & 2nd part of it and i couldnt even answer most of the questions & im born & bred UK,Northern Ireland. Its not just listening & understanding,you need a good memory as well. http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/index.php

Hi. I don't know if this helps, but my wife took the TOEIC test which is also approved by the UKBA. What I found out was that you only need low scores to pass sufficiently well enough to satisy the A1 requirement. So whilst the test looked, at first glance, to be be a tall order, because the pass threshold for A1 level is set low, it is easier than you might think at first. It is possible that the same applies to the test that you are looking at.

[Terpe]

Hi. I don't know if this helps, but my wife took the TOEIC test which is also approved by the UKBA. What I found out was that you only need low scores to pass sufficiently well enough to satisy the A1 requirement. So whilst the test looked, at first glance, to be be a tall order, because the pass threshold for A1 level is set low, it is easier than you might think at first. It is possible that the same applies to the test that you are looking at.

The TOEIC test has a broad grading range but is actually graded at A1 level
IELTS is basically more demanding, and requires contentration over a longer duration. The test is graded at the minimum level of B1.
Some people may find IELTS intimidating and may not perform as well as they could.

Just my 2 centavos

[briancol]

If your wife is not confident, or if she struggles with her English, it may be better to take a different test. IELTS is at a higher level than others.
Just food for thought.

shes not confident at all, i told her she would be ok coz i can understand her ok and she can understand me ok,but that example test has made me think again.what other tests are there,i thought IELTS was the only one she could take.

[briancol]

The TOEIC test has a broad grading range but is actually graded at A1 level
IELTS is basically more demanding, and requires contentration over a longer duration. The test is graded at the minimum level of B1.
Some people may find IELTS intimidating and may not perform as well as they could.

Just my 2 centavos
WHY WOULD ANYONE TAKE A HARDER TEST THAN THEY NEED TO?
which test is the eaiest to pass and is approved by the UKBA?
is the TOEIC run by ipd in Cebu ?

[briancol]

Hi. I don't know if this helps, but my wife took the TOEIC test which is also approved by the UKBA. What I found out was that you only need low scores to pass sufficiently well enough to satisy the A1 requirement. So whilst the test looked, at first glance, to be be a tall order, because the pass threshold for A1 level is set low, it is easier than you might think at first. It is possible that the same applies to the test that you are looking at.
you could well be right about that but it has put the wind up me,on behalf of my wife.lol.
i think she will need the eaiest available,whichever one that might be.

[lastlid]

WHY WOULD ANYONE TAKE A HARDER TEST THAN THEY NEED TO?
which test is the eaiest to pass and is approved by the UKBA?
is the TOEIC run by ipd in Cebu ?

Because there is little choice. For some reason some or maybe all, for all I know, of these tests cover a wider range of ability than is required by the UKBA. It is annoying as if there was a test that was set for the appropriate ability range to satisfy the UKBA requirements then it might be a darn sight cheaper. Its like taking an A level when you only require a GCSE.

And it certainly freaked my wife out as she though she was going to fail, as the practice papers looked so daunting.

[raynaputi]

you won't know if the test is easier or not because it depends on which you find easy..i find IELTS easy when i took the exam last July 9..some find Toeic easy when they took it..and both test have different ways in giving their grades..my advice is to tell your gf to try online mock exams of both tests and take whichever she finds easy..and PLEASE take a look at the pdf file Terpe has posted here for the list of tests your wife can take coz it states which test provider gives the test..

[briancol]

Because there is little choice. For some reason some or maybe all, for all I know, of these tests cover a wider range of ability than is required by the UKBA. It is annoying as if there was a test that was set for the appropriate ability range to satisfy the UKBA requirements then it might be a darn sight cheaper. Its like taking an A level when you only require a GCSE.
And it certainly freaked my wife out as she though she was going to fail, as the practice papers looked so daunting.
yes ur right,its not cheap at all. i just this minute tried the 1st part of the TOEIC example test,it was easy pesy,though very slow moving.

[briancol]

you won't know if the test is easier or not because it depends on which you find easy..i find IELTS easy when i took the exam last July 9..some find Toeic easy when they took it..and both test have different ways in giving their grades..my advice is to tell your gf to try online mock exams of both tests and take whichever she finds easy..and PLEASE take a look at the pdf file Terpe has posted here for the list of tests your wife can take coz it states which test provider gives the test..
its me that looking at these tests coz my wife, not gf, is still studying and doesnt finish her course untill 10th November,im just trying to arrange the test for her for when im there in November. i'd be afraid to let her take the IELTS now ive tried it,the TOEIC one seems a lot easier. and im sure she would agree.

[raynaputi]

just my two cents..but it's her taking the test and not you so let her do the practice tests provided online so she'll know what to expect and not just because you find it easy or difficult..

[briancol]

yea i know what ur saying but the way i see it is if i find it hard then surely she wil find it harder, and of course i wil let her choose but shes happy for me to be searching on her behalf.

[Terpe]

briancol,

May I very kindly suggest you contact here:-

Ms. JUDITH RAAGAS
CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION - CEBU
168 PRESIDENT MAGSAYSAY STREET
KASAMBAGAN
MABOLO
CEBU CITY 6000
PHILIPPINES
work Tel: 00 63 32 2332522
work fax Fax: 00 63 32 2332566
E-mail: judith.raagas@cie.edu; christine.bacareza@cie.edu
Internet: http:// www.cie.edu/

This is a test centre for Cambridge ESOL (who are an approved provider and are on the UKBA list)
They are also in Cebu which you said you wanted.

They offer an number of tests that are approved by UKBA such as:-
KET ....Key English Test
PET ....Preliminary English Test
FCE ....First Certificate in English

Worth talking with them anyway. KET may be more suitable as it is less demanding but still achieves A1 level.

I have no connections with this organisation or anyone employed by them.

[briancol]

thank you for that therpe, ive have look at tht list of approved english tests but i cant make head nor tail of it.

[Terpe]

Because there is little choice. For some reason some or maybe all, for all I know, of these tests cover a wider range of ability than is required by the UKBA. It is annoying as if there was a test that was set for the appropriate ability range to satisfy the UKBA requirements then it might be a darn sight cheaper. Its like taking an A level when you only require a GCSE.

And it certainly freaked my wife out as she though she was going to fail, as the practice papers looked so daunting.

There are many valid and sensible reasons why the UKBA approved listing has a wide choice of test and providers that offer various levels of English Language tests.
Don't forget that Fiance(e)s, spouses, partners etc who require only the very basic level A1, represent only a portion of those wishing to enter UK for different reasons.

It is as you say unfortunate that the whole thing was not well enough thought out in terms of tests, provider approvals and distribution of test centres.

[briancol]

if there had been a heading on that list to say, HERE ARE THE TESTS & PROVIDERS REQUIRED FOR WIVES/FIANCES to enter the UK, it would be a lot simpler.

[lastlid]

It is as you say unfortunate that the whole thing was not well enough thought out in terms of tests, provider approvals and dsitribution of test centres.

I understand.

[lastlid]

Brian,


From my point of view it is history now. I hope I havent muddied the waters any more than they already are by sharing my / our experience with you. I am thankful that my wife passed and passed well. But I spent a lot of time and effort trying to address her alarm and apprehension in the build up to the test and results, she was clearly rattled by the tests before she actually got her results and I fully understand why.

And I sympathise with you on this. All the best with the list that Terp has given you.

[briancol]

ok thanks, i have noted what yourself and therpe have said.

[Terpe]

ok thanks, i have noted what yourself and therpe have said.

Good luck mate.
If you're still stuck just post again, no probs

[jlags90]

Has anyone taken A1 level of exam from davao city? I am quite apprehensive about taking the english proficiency exam.. Please Help! I am a new member here.. Where do I post a question?